Palo Alto Airport Long-Range Plan Update: September Council Session & Addressing Community Comments
Last year, the Palo Alto Airport launched a long-range planning effort to accommodate existing and future needs over the next 20 years. Infrastructure improvements and supporting future airport operations are key goals of the long-range plan effort underway. The plan supports the Palo Alto Airport’s role in the community as a transportation partner and considers airport improvements based on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) criteria.
Addressing Recent Community Comments
In June, the Palo Alto Airport hosted their 5th Community Meeting on the long-range plan, sharing Alternatives to facilitate input from residents, visitors, and users of the airport, and help inform discussions planned this fall with the Council. Following this meeting, an online survey was also released to generate feedback. At both the June meeting and through the online survey, some key themes have emerged. This section discusses two misconceptions to address these recent community comments and shares additional details.
FAA Criteria, Not Requirements
The Airport has received numerous comments expressing concern that FAA criteria used in the development of planning alternatives may require the City to make changes like lengthening the existing runway, and that the runway alternatives include filling in the Duck Pond. While the alternatives were developed with FAA criteria in mind, the criteria are not requirements.
No Preferred Alternative, Illustrating Impacts to Facilitate Community Conversations
The alternatives are intended to assist with Council decision-making and community engagement/input and to illustrate various impacts. The Airport does not have a preferred alternative. Each alternative has differing conditions to consider.
The Duck Pond is Not Impacted by the Airport’s Planning Effort
None of the runway alternatives being evaluated include filling in the Duck Pond. Alternatives 2 through 5 show a small portion along the west corner of the Duck Pond being affected by a potential future levee alignment. The levee alignments were developed independently from the Airport’s planning process to protect the City from sea level rise. No levee alignment option has been advanced by the Council to date.
This was included on the Airport alternatives exhibits to demonstrate potential impacts considering the various adjacent projects in the vicinity. Some alternatives do include possible impacts to the area adjacent to the duck pond.
Newly Posted: Community Meeting #5 Summary
For those interested in tracking the community conversations to date, the most recent community meeting took place in June. The meeting summary is now online here.
What’s Next, How to Engage
The City Council is set to discuss the Palo Alto Airport Long-Range Plan through a study session scheduled tentatively on September 16. The agenda and meeting materials for this meeting will be published in advance on September 5, and the public is encouraged to attend to share input and gain a status update on the work completed to date. Materials will also include a summary of the feedback gained through the series of community meetings and online survey results.
When the Council meeting materials are released, they can be found at www.cityofpaloalto.org/CouncilAgendas.
About the Palo Alto Airport
In operation since the 1930’s, the Palo Alto Airport is approximately 102 acres and generally bounded by Embarcadero Road, Baylands Golf Links, the Bayland Nature Preserve, and the San Francisco Bay. A general aviation field owned and operated by the City of Palo Alto, the Airport serves the broader Bay Area offering a single runway, and supports emergency services, the flying community, and aviation businesses including fuel, aircraft ground support, flight lessons, pilot training, aircraft sales, rentals, maintenance and repair. The Air Traffic Control Tower is operated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
